MLB News

Stanton shot bruises Brewers' scoreboard

Slugger returns after day off with 462-foot homer to center field at Miller Park

By
Andrew GrumanSpecial to MLB.com

MILWAUKEE -- A day of rest did Giancarlo Stanton good.

After sitting out Friday's series opener, the Marlins' slugger hit a 462-foot missile to center field off Brewers starter Chase Anderson in the fourth inning of Saturday's 7-5 win -- one of four Miami homers on the night.

After sitting out Friday's series opener, the Marlins' slugger hit a 462-foot missile to center field off Brewers starter Chase Anderson in the fourth inning of Saturday's 7-5 win -- one of four Miami homers on the night.

According to Statcast™, Stanton's home run had an exit velocity of 116.8 mph and a launch angle of 23 degrees.

The ball hit off an advertisement on the lower part of the scoreboard. Only Pittsburgh's Jordy Mercer (466 feet) has hit a longer home run this season.

"They are all similar," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "You very seldom don't see one you don't think is just a missile. That one looks really pretty here because it is indoors and he hit something really way out there, but almost all of his seem like they are monumental. They go out quick."

Entering Saturday, just 10 batted balls had an exit velocity of 117 mph or higher this season, including a Stanton single against Washington on April 10. Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez hit the only other home run with an exit velocity of at least 117 mph on April 4 against Arizona.

At 117 mph off the bat, Stanton's blast was the fourth-hardest hit home run since 2015.

"I've always had good success against him, but if you make a mistake to a good hitter like that, you're going to pay for it," Anderson said. "He's a strong guy, and if he hits the ball, it's going to go pretty far."

Stanton now has three of the four top exit velocities on home runs hit over the past two seasons. His 475-foot home run on June 15, 2015, had an exit velocity of 119.2 mph, while a 377-foot shot on April 23, 2015, left his bat at 118.5 mph.

"It doesn't surprise me, man," Marlins third baseman Martin Prado said. "That guy, every time he hits the ball it is going to go hard somewhere. It didn't surprise me at all."

Saturday marked Stanton's first game at Miller Park since being hit in the face by former Brewers right-hander Mike Fiers on Sept. 11, 2014.

Having long ago put the incident behind him, Stanton didn't let what happened the last time he played in Milwaukee enter his mind.

"The only reason to think about it would be for negative reasons and to set yourself up to fail, so ... would you like to fail out there?" Stanton said. "So I guess that eliminates what you need to do."

Andrew Gruman is a contributor to MLB.com who covered the Marlins on Saturday.